Mongolian Family Research Articles

A case study of family language policy in interaction with mainstream and minority language education among Mongolian families

ABSTRACT In the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (henceforth IMAR) of China, children of bilingual parents are increasingly becoming monolingual in the socially dominant language – Mandarin. Mongolian language, representing the unique culture and identity of Mongolian ethnic groups, is facing a decline in usage within the family setting. This case study investigates the Family Language Policy (henceforth FLP) and its interaction with mainstream and minority language education through observations, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires with two distinct groups. Group 1 demonstrates the contemporary implementations and challenges of FLP among 5 bilingual parents and Group 2 offers the historical perspectives of 9 bilingual adults with their retrospective account of childhood language experiences. Through comparing the two groups, we identified the critical role of FLP in supporting the development of children's minority languages. We also uncovered challenges and inconsistencies that parents encountered in implementing FLP. These issues stem from a variety of factors, including economic, sociocultural, and political influences, as well as individual factors, such as expectations and language experiences from both parents and children.

Identification of novel candidate genes associated with non-syndromic tooth agenesis in Mongolian families

ObjectivesThis study aimed to identify genetic variants associated with non-syndromic tooth agenesis (TA) in nine families from Mongolia using whole-exome sequencing (WES) and bioinformatics analysis.Material and methodsThe study enrolled 41 participants, including three inherited and six non-inherited families. WES analysis was performed on 14 saliva samples from individuals with non-syndromic TA. The potential candidate genes were identified through variant filtering and segregation analysis. The filtered variants were then analyzed in silico mutation impact analysis.ResultsWES analysis identified 21 variants associated with TA, and 5 of these variants met all filtering criteria. These variants were located in the exome region of MAST4, ITGA6, PITX2, CACNA1S, and CDON genes. The variant in PITX2 was found in eight participants from inherited and non-inherited families, while the MAST4 variant was identified in 6 participants from inherited families.ConclusionsThe study identified various genetic variant candidates associated with TA in different family groups, with PITX2 being the most commonly identified. Our findings suggest that MAST4 may also be a novel candidate gene for TA due to its association with the Wnt signaling pathway. Additionally, we found that five candidate genes related to focal adhesion and calcium channel complex were significant and essential in tooth development.Clinical relevanceIdentifying new pathogenic genes associated with TA can improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease, leading to better diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Early detection of TA based on biomarkers can improve dental management and facilitate orthodontic and prosthetic treatment.

A Scalable Smart Greenhouse Design For Mongolian Families

Life expectancy in Mongolia is male 63.8 and female 72.8. Total life expectancy is 68.1, which gives Mongolia a World Life Expectancy ranking of 132 in the WHO 2022 report. The number one reason for the mission of Mongolians is cardiovascular disease, which is closely related to their diet. The staple food of Mongolians is meat. The annual vegetable consumption of Mongolians announced by the UN in 2017 was 47.31 kg, far below the average value of 250 kg in developed countries. This paper proposes a smart greenhouse for families where Mongolian families can grow vegetables at home. This paper presents a smart home greenhouse that meets the environmental characteristics and requirements of the Mongolian region. We manage sensors and actuators through the Raspberry Pi platform to provide an environment necessary for cultivation. It describes the architecture of an integrated management system that stores sensor data in the cloud system's storage, apply reinforcement learning, and controls the operating point of the smart greenhouse. It describes how to manage the system internally using three layers, the physical layer, the embedded OS layer, and the application layer, and to communicate with the cloud through the IoT edge manager.

Identification of a HOXD13 variant in a Mongolian family with incomplete penetrance syndactyly by exon sequencing

BackgroundSyndactyly (SD) refers to a deformity caused by the fusion and limb differentiation disorder of soft tissues and/or skeletons to varying extents between adjacent fingers (toes). The main features of this disease are phenotypic heterogeneity and genetic heterogeneity. In this study, we examined four generations of a Chinese Mongolian with different phenotypes of syndactylia and analysed and identified the pathogenic genetic variants of SD by exon sequencing.MethodsThe clinical phenotypes of patients were analysed, and the hands and feet were examined by X-ray. The pedigree was drawn, and the family data were analysed. Peripheral blood was collected from the family members, and genomic DNA was extracted. The candidate genes of SD were identified by exon sequencing, and the mutation sites of the captured candidate genes were amplified by PCR and verified by Sanger sequencing.ResultsThe family has congenital syndactyly, which is an autosomal dominant disease. At present, this condition has been passed down for 4 generations and was identified in 9 patients, including 4 males and 5 females. Five patients, I2, II4, III5, III,7 and III10, had unilateral syndactyly, and four patients, III16, IV3, IV6 and IV7, had bilateral finger syndactyly. All of their toes were unaffected. The proband and the other patients in this family had a c.917G > A (p.R306Q) mutation, which is located at position 917 of the second exon of the HOXD13 gene. This mutation results in a change in the amino acid at position 306, in which arginine is changed to glutamine. This mutation cosegregates in unaffected individuals and affected patients in this family. Moreover, 201 Mongolian genome databases and a thousand human genome databases were referenced to further confirm that the pathogenic genetic variant that causes syndactyly in this family is found in HOXD13.ConclusionThis study found that the mutation site of the pathogenic gene in this family was HOXD13, c.917G > A (p.R306Q). The phenotype of the family member III12 was normal, but this member was also a carrier of the pathogenic genetic variant. This indicates that the disease of this family has incomplete penetrance characteristics. Our results further enrich the expression profile of the HOXD13 gene.

Family language policy in a multilingual Mongolian family in China: A cross-generation exploration

ABSTRACT This qualitative case study explores the multiple forces driving the development of language ideologies within a multi-generation ethnic Mongolian family in mainland China and its family language policy (FLP) implementation. The findings reflect changes in family members’ language proficiency, ideologies, and practices across generations, per the influence of state education and language policy, the changing national-level socioeconomic and political environment and globalisation. The findings suggest the multiple factors that influence and shape FLP. It is found that conflicts and contradictions exist among family members’ language ideologies, language management and language practices, driven by the dual position of the Mongolian language’s decline (due to its lack of involvement in globalisation) and revival (due to national-level efforts to enhance cohesion). Presenting a nuanced and holistic understanding of FLP, this study relates the Mongolian family’s FLP to wider educational, historical and sociocultural realities. The implications for different stakeholders are discussed.

The Influence of Father-Adolescent Attachment on Adolescents’ Internalizing Behavior Problems Within the Mongolian Family Context and the Analysis of Moderation Effects of Adolescents’ Gender

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of father-adolescent attachment on adolescents’ internalizing behavior problems within the Mongolian family context. Additionally, the moderation effect of adolescents’ gender was also examined.Methods: One hundred seventy four Mongolian adolescents who lived in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia participated in this study. The participants was 13 to 15 years old, and 69 out of 174 participants were boys. Consent was taken from participants and their parents. Instructions, consent forms, and questionnaires written in English were translated into Mongolian language. Participants responded to questionnaires that measured attachment to fathers, adolescents’ depression, and anxiety. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression.Results: Results of this study showed that there was a significant difference between sons and daughters in the attachment to their fathers. Attachment security between sons and fathers was higher than that between daughters and fathers. Gender differences were also found in adolescents’ depression and anxiety. Levels of depression and anxiety in girls were significantly higher than in boys. In addition, attachment to fathers negatively predicted adolescents’ internalizing behavior problems including depression and anxiety. In particular, the moderation effect of adolescents’ gender was also significant. Specificially, girls’ attachment to fathers negatively predicted girls’ internalizing behavior problems, but no significant finding was reported in the relationship between fathers and boys.Conclusion: Findings suggested a protective role of adolescents’ attachment to fathers against adolescents’ internalizing behavior problems, and were discussed in terms of characteristics of parent-child relationship in Mongolian culture. The role of attachment on adolescents’ mental health was suggested.

Breaking Down: a critical discourse analysis of John Langdon Down’s (1866) classification of people with trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)

ABSTRACT This article critiques how the chromosomal condition ‘trisomy 21’ (‘T21’) (‘Down syndrome’) was originally conceptualised using colonial, scientific and medical discourses on ‘race’ and ‘idiocy’. Nineteenth century discourses surrounding ‘degeneracy’ commonly intertwined the notions of ‘race’ and ‘idiocy’. In Observations of an Ethnic Classification of Idiots, Down categorises people with T21 as ‘Mongolians’ because of their purported similarities to ethnic ‘Mongolians’. The discourse-historical approach (DHA) to critical discourse analysis (CDA) is used in this article to examine how the ‘Mongolian idiot’ is constructed by Down as the ‘other’, being simultaneously a ‘racial other’, a ‘disabled other’, and an ‘idiotic other’. Down theorises that ethnic ‘Caucasians’ with ‘idiocy’ have ‘retrogressed’ to primitive forms as characterised by the ‘Mongolian family’. His report also essentialises the ‘Mongolian idiot’, defining their ‘degeneracy’ and ‘otherness’ in terms of their physical, behavioural, and mental characteristics. Whilst Down’s ‘mongolism’ has since been refuted, aspects of his report are reproduced in some contemporary medical and scientific discourses. Although these discourses are less essentialist than Down’s, they persist in constructing the ‘otherness’ of T21, by foregrounding its ‘abnormalities’ and ‘disorders’. Significantly, facets of ‘degeneracy’ appear in evolutionary developmental biology, connecting T21 with ‘atavisms’, though without the racial framework.

ЭТНОКУЛЬТУРНЫЕ СВЯЗИ РУССКИХ И БУРЯТ В МОНГОЛИИ

The article deals with the preservation of the acquired Russian traditions of the Mongolian Buryats, considers ethnic peculiarities of the Baikal Russians in Mongolia and their relations with the Buryats. The analysis is carried out from the ethnographic viewpoint. There is no exact information about the Russians who arrived in Mongolia together with the Buryats, except for rare memoirs of old residents. So the authors, for the first time, have conducted a field research and gathered fragmented data on the destiny of the Russians who lived together with the Buryats. The paper provides some information about the Russian children adopted by the Mongolian families. Special attention is paid to “living” traditions examined from the viewpoint of ethnography and folklore studies.

ПОЛОЖЕНИЕ И РОЛИ МОНГОЛЬСКОЙ ЖЕНЩИНЫ В СЕМЬЕ (XII-XIII ВВ.)

The article is devoted to identifying the status and role of a woman in the Mongolian family of the XII-XIII centuries. Analysing the information contained in historical chronicles, legal documents and travel essays of that time, the author concludes that a woman’s status was high enough; she enjoyed a sufficient degree of freedom in the family sphere. The paper analyses in detail a woman’s roles in the family: wife, mother and daughter. It is shown that widowed representatives of the Mongolian elite often performed a regentess’s duties and influenced political processes.

A novel pathogenic variant in OSBPL2 linked to hereditary late-onset deafness in a Mongolian family

BackgroundTo investigate the clinical features and the underlying causal gene of a family with hereditary late-onset deafness in Inner Mongolia of China, and to provide evidence for the early genetic screening and diagnosis of this disease.MethodsFamily data were collected to draw a pedigree. Audiological testing and physical examination of the family members were conducted following questionnaire. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood of 5 family members (3 patients and 2 normal control) and subjected to whole genome sequencing for identifying deafness casual genes. The pathogenic variant in the deafness gene was further confirmed by Sanger sequencing.ResultsThe family is composed of a total of 6 generations, with 53 traceable individuals. In this family,19 of them were diagnosed with post lingual deafness with the age of onset between 10 and 40 years, displaying delayed and progressive hearing loss. Patients with hearing loss showed bilateral symmetry and mild to severe sensorineural deafness. The pattern of deafness inheritance in this family is autosomal dominant. Whole genome sequencing identified a novel pathogenic frameshift mutation, c.158_159delAA (p.Gln53Arg fs*100) in the gene OSBPL2 (Oxysterol-binding protein-related protein 2, NM_144498.2), which is absent from genomic data of 201 unrelated normal subjects. This pathogenic variant was further validated by Sanger sequencing, and was found to co-segregate in this family.ConclusionsWhole genome sequencing identified a two-nucleotide deletion in OSBPL2 (c.158_159delAA) as the pathogenic variant for deafness in the family. Our finding expands the mutational spectrum of OSBPL2 and contributes to the pathogenic variant list in genetic counseling for deafness screening.

Three Facets of Woman Power in China, 1644 to 2019

Three Facets of Woman Power in China, 1644 to 2019 Walter C. Clemens Jr. (bio) Wang, Daisy Yiyou, and Jan Stuart, eds. 2018. Empresses of China's Forbidden City, 1644–1912. Salem, MA: Peabody Essex Museum; Washington DC: Freer/Sackler, Smithsonian Institution; distributed from New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Hinton, William H. 1966. Fanshen: A Documentary of Revolution in a Chinese Village. New York: Monthly Review Press; 1997. Berkeley: University of California Press. Fincher, Leta Hong. Betraying Big Brother: The Feminist Awakening in China. 2018. London: Verso. Was Women's Liberation Ever Sought by China's Leaders? Was it ever Feasible in China? Is it possible today? These three volumes offer a mixed answer to these questions. Regardless of the answer—yes in some respects, no in most others—these very different books penetrate China's past and current realities to show both continuity and change. The Wang and Stuart book illuminates lives at the very top of society in China's last dynasty, while Hinton's Fanshen depicts the plight of peasant women on the eve of the Communist takeover in the twentieth century. "A baby girl is a 'small happiness,'" a male village elder told Hinton's daughter, while "a boy is a 'large happiness.'" This idea has long been a leitmotif of Chinese culture and ethics. Fincher's Betraying Big Brother shows the difficulties as well as the opportunities facing young educated women today. Life at the Top Our review begins with life in the Forbidden City. The more than two dozen empresses and numerous other women at the Qing imperial court [End Page 417] were technically "inalienable possessions" of the monarchy and passed their lives sequestered from public view. The editors of this book argue, however, that these palace women made meaningful lives for themselves within and sometimes beyond the strictures of the court. The strong personalities of Qing empresses helped to shape the rise and fall of the dynasty over the centuries. Apart from its profound historical analyses, Empresses is one of the most exquisite books most readers will ever encounter. Its 264 pages contain more than two hundred plates, most of them in full color, showing paintings and photos of the Qing court and images for their contemplation—birds, fruit, blossoms, and deities. Thoughtful essays are provided by Wang and Stuart and by other experts on different time periods and issues. Most of the objects pictured are on loan from the Palace Museum, Beijing, supplemented by works at the Peabody Essex Museum and the Smithsonian's Freer/Sackler Galleries. These objects were shown at Peabody Essex from August 2018 to February 2019 and exhibited in Washington, DC, at the Freer|Sackler from March to June 2019. The art objects displayed in this book and in accompanying exhibitions show the importance attached to the empresses. The book's authors testify that the objects and furnishings in the quarters of empresses and consorts were of the same superlative quality as those in the emperor's chambers. The best court art was for both sexes. The art for women, however, contained more fertility symbols. Most empresses came from prominent Manchu or Mongolian families. Some Han people were assimilated into the Banner system and their daughters could participate in the draft for palace women. Some low-ranking women were able to move up. Manchu women enjoyed more freedom than their Han counterparts. Manchus proscribed the binding of feet and encouraged women to ride and hunt. The Qing imperial court was strictly patriarchal and hierarchical. The empress's primary duty was to bear a son to continue the imperial line, but she was more than the dynasty's borrowed womb. She also headed the imperial harem and could influence the emperor. She was regarded as the "mother of the state" and a role model for all women. Moving boldly against the tradition that "women shall not rule," some empresses took more direct control of state affairs in challenging times. Presiding over the state ritual of promoting silk production and the textile industry, empresses honored women's vital contribution to the state's economic health. A number of empresses played...

Unique spectra of deafness-associated mutations in Mongolians provide insights into the genetic relationships among Eurasian populations.

Genetic factors are an important cause of idiopathic sensorineural hearing impairment (SNHI). From the epidemiological perspective, mutations of three deafness genes: GJB2, SLC26A4, and MT-RNR1, are much more prevalent than those of other genes worldwide. However, mutation spectra of common deafness genes differ remarkably across different populations. Here, we performed comprehensive genetic examination and haplotype analyses in 188 unrelated Mongolian families with idiopathic SNHI, and compared their mutation spectra and haplotypes to those of other European and Asian cohorts. We confirmed genetic diagnoses in 18 (9.6%) of the 188 families, including 13 with bi-allelic GJB2 mutations, three with bi-allelic SLC26A4 mutations, and two with homoplasmic MT-RNR1 m.1555A>G mutation. Moreover, mono-allelic mutations were identified in 17 families (9.0%), including 14 with mono-allelic GJB2 mutations and three with mono-allelic SLC26A4 mutations. Interestingly, three GJB2 mutations prevalent in other populations, including c.35delG in Caucasians, c.235delC in East Asians, and c.-23+1G>A in Southwest and South Asians, were simultaneously detected in Mongolian patients. Haplotype analyses further confirmed founder effects for each of the three mutations, indicating that each mutation derived from its ancestral origin independently. By demonstrating the unique spectra of deafness-associated mutations, our findings may have important clinical and scientific implications for refining the molecular diagnostics of SNHI in Mongolian patients, and for elucidating the genetic relationships among Eurasian populations.

Nomadic Life on the Steppes: An Ecocinematic Exploration of Tulpan and Cave of the Yellow Dog

Ecocinema: (1) analyzes the role of visual media in responding to the environmental crisis; (2) has explicit interest in environmental justice; (3) includes a variety of genres and modes of production; (4) informs viewers of issues of ecological importance; (5) promotes ecocentric ways of framing the world; and (6) has an activist agenda. Ecocinema examines films produced by/with historically marginalized communities underrepresented in film. Using Ecocinema and Fourth Cinema (Barclay), I examined two fictional films featuring nomadic peoples of the Central Asian Steppes whose culture and ecologically low impact lifestyle are threatened and fragile in the global order. Tulpan, a 2008 Kazakh/Russian production by Kazakh-born Sergei Dvortsevoy, tells the story of Asa, a young Kazakh man, returning to his home in the Steppes to establish himself as a shepherd with his own flock. Tulpan features the long takes and slow pacing needed to “retrain the perception” of viewers. Tulpan’s biocentric focus on landscape and animals is equivalent to the focus on the human, reconsidering the human/non-human relationship. Tulpan shows one young man dreaming of a meaningful life rooted in his cultural traditions, struggling to locate himself within contemporary economic, political and cultural realities in a region underrepresented in world film. The Cave of the Yellow Dog, 2005, by Mongolian filmmaker Byambasuren Davaa, tells the story of a Mongolian nomadic family. Davaa, similar to Dvortsevoy, works in documentary and fictional films, uses professional and non-professional actors, and relies on Western funding to make her films. These two films suggest that non-commercial fictional films are an important vehicle for addressing global environmental concerns as they present stories of marginalized people and help us imagine solutions to global problems.

1223 Multiple MC1R variants associated with extensive freckles and red hair found in a Mongolian family

1223 Multiple MC1R variants associated with extensive freckles and red hair found in a Mongolian family

МОНГОЛ ГЭР БҮЛИЙН БҮТЭЦ ХЭВ МАЯГ, ХАРИЛЦААНЫ ОНЦЛОГ, ТУЛГАМДАЖ БУЙ АСУУДАЛ

The social shift time carried out in Mongolia, the worldwide globalization and the cultural globalization have been bringing considerable changes to the structures and the styles of the families of Mongolia. For the purpose to determine the current styles, the development, the changes and the future trends of the family relations and the factors affecting these, we fulfilled a basic survey named “The Current Situation of the Mongolian Family Relations” in 2010. The survey showed a tendency that the family relation matters will become more complicated in the country and problems ought to be solved will appear in the near 5 to 10 years. There will be many confronting problems such as family violation, divorce and post-divorce child matter. There are common family types such as integrated, single, one-sided and having disabled members in Mongolia and several new styles have been appearing for example: transnational family, multi-cultural family, partnership family, contracted family1, homosexual family and group living family. Accordingly, there are needs and necessities to determine ways for completely researching the family affairs in a level of theory and practice to give answers, for including in the state policy and operations, for making practical consulting and for solving the problems and the matters. Except providing the citizens with the education essential to keep families with normal relations, it is necessary to issue them a family education, which is fit to their life cycles, age specialties or otherwise which is based on their needs. The survey showed that 72.3% replied a family consulting center is required, 72.3% replied a family education-provider institution is needed too and 45.4% answered a marriage ceremony hall is needed. It means such needs have already appeared and the demands are not being provided. It is being observed that a trend about families is to gradually change from the conventional trend. An attitude to be based on dishonest and material interests, losing the precious values of families, to avoid the family responsibilities and to be selfishness preferring independence for sexual relations. Building a state system, which is specially responsible for the family affairs, is significantly important to enhance the inter-sector regulations for solving the problems confronting the families.

Polymorphisms in the SLC12A3 Gene Encoding Sodium-Chloride Cotransporter are Associated with Hypertension: A Family-Based Study in the Mongolian Population

Background/Aims: Hypertension or persistent high blood pressure (BP) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Extensive evidence indicates that the thiazide-sensitive Na⁺-Cl^- cotrans-porter (NCC) affects BP via regulation of renal sodium reabsorption. However, the relationship between genetic variants of the NCC-encoding SLC12A3 gene and hypertension in the Mongolian population is still ambiguous. In this study, we aimed to genotype an extended cohort of hypertensive Mongolian families for polymorphisms in the SLC12A3 locus. Methods: Eighty-eight families with a history of hypertension, including parents, offspring, and relatives underwent clinical testing. Family-based association tests and haplotype analysis were used to evaluate the association between hypertension and polymorphisms in the SLC12A3 locus. Results: We identified three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), one in the SLC12A3 coding region (p = 0.05) and two in the intron (p = 0.02 and p = 0.07), which were significantly associated with the hypertension phenotype. Haplotype-specific association tests confirmed the correlation of these SNPs with hypertension (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that SNPs in the SLC12A3 gene confer susceptibility to hypertension in the Mongolian population. Further research is needed to validate the functional role of SLC12A3 polymorphisms in hypertension.

Family-Based Association Study of Pulmonary Function in a Population in Northeast Asia.

The spirometric measurement of pulmonary function by measuring the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) is a heritable trait that reflects the physiological condition of the lung and airways. Genome-wide linkage and association studies have identified a number of genes and genetic loci associated with pulmonary function. However, limited numbers of studies have been reported for Asian populations. In this study, we aimed to investigate genetic evidence of pulmonary function in a population in northeast Asia. We conducted a family-based association test with 706 GENDISCAN study participants from 72 Mongolian families to determine candidate genetic determinants of pulmonary function. For the replication, we chose seven candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the 5 loci, and tested 1062 SNPs for association with FEV1 from 2,729 subjects of the Korea Healthy Twin study. We identified TMEM132C as a potential candidate gene at 12q24.3, which is a previously reported locus of asthma and spirometric indices. We also found two adjacent candidate genes (UNC93A and TTLL2) in the 6q27 region, which has been previously identified as a pulmonary function locus in the Framingham cohort study. Our findings suggest that novel candidate genes (TMEM132C, UNC93A and TTLL2) in two different regions are associated with pulmonary function in a population in northeast Asia.

High-throughput sequencing for the detection of the bacterial and fungal diversity in Mongolian naturally fermented cow's milk in Russia.

BackgroundTraditional fermented dairy products are major components of the typical Mongolian diet since ancient times. However, almost all the previous studies on the microbial composition of traditional Mongolian fermented dairy products analyzed food samples from the Chinese Mongolian region and Mongolia but not the Russian Mongolian region. In this study, the bacterial and fungal community diversity of nineteen naturally fermented cow’s milk (NFCM) samples from local Mongolian families residing in Kalmykia and Chita of Russia was investigated with pyrosequencing.ResultsFirmicutes and Ascomycota were the predominant phyla respectively for bacteria and fungi. The abundance of the bacterial phylum Acidobacteria was considerably different between the samples from the two regions. At genus level, Lactobacillus and Pichia were the predominating bacterial and fungal genera, respectively, while six bacterial genera significantly differed between the Kalmykia (enrichment of Aeromonas, Bacillus, Clostridium, Streptococcus, Vogesella) and Chita (enrichment of Lactococcus) samples. The results of principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) based on the bacterial or fungal composition of the Kalmykia and Chita samples revealed a different microbiota structure between the samples collected in these two locations. The redundancy analysis (RDA) identified 60 bacterial and 21 fungal OTUs as the key variables responsible for such microbiota structural difference.ConclusionsOur results suggest that structural differences existed in the microbiota of NFCM between Kalmykia and Chita. The difference in geographic environment may be an important factor influencing the microbial diversity of NFCM made by the Mongolians in Russia.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12866-015-0385-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The peril of order? IPV, injury, and order in Mongolian families.

Despite its consistent and latent appearance in feminist accounts of intimate partner violence (IPV), the characterization of IPV as an elaborately ordered relationship whose norms are backed up by force is notably absent from the empirical IPV literature. Drawing on Emery's typology of IPV, we hypothesized a curvilinear relationship between order and IPV injury. We developed a measure of relationship order and implemented it in a representative, randomly selected cluster sample of 250 families from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Controlling for the severity of the IPV, higher levels of order, but not lower levels, are associated with higher numbers of reported IPV injuries. Theoretical and practical implications of order as a risk factor are discussed.

A rare novel mutation in TECTA causes autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss in a Mongolian family

BackgroundThe genetic basis of autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss is complex. Genetic factors are responsible for approximately 50% of cases with congenital hearing loss. However, no previous studies have documented the clinical phenotype and genetic basis of autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss in Mongolians.MethodsIn this study, we performed exon capture sequencing of a Mongolian family with hereditary hearing loss and identified a novel mutation in TECTA gene, which encodes α -tectorin, a major component of the inner ear extracellular matrix that contacts the specialized sensory hair cells.ResultsThe novel G → T missense mutation at nucleotide 6016 results in a substitution of amino acid aspartate at 2006 with tyrosine (Asp2006Tyr) in a highly conserved zona pellucida (ZP) domain of α-tectorin. The mutation is not found in control subjects from the same family with normal hearing and a genotype-phenotype correlation is observed.ConclusionA novel missense mutation c.6016 G > T (p.Asp2006Tyr) of TECTA gene is a characteristic TECTA-related mutation which causes autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss. Our result indicated that mutation in TECTA gene is responsible for the hearing loss in this Mongolian family.